In the field of woodworking, it is well known that it is often necessary to clamp multiple pieces of wood together in a side by side disposition This is especially true when forming a large planar member such as used in shelving, table tops, and the like. There are many types of clamping devices available for accomplishing such a task. Typically, the boards are disposed in a desired arrangement, an adhesive is applied on the contacting surfaces and the boards are pressed together. A clamp is then placed such that the boards are received within the throat of the clamp. The boards are then adjusted to ensure that they are in alignment to define a continuous top and bottom surface. Once the boards are manipulated into alignment, the clamp is tightened to bring the boards into close engagement with each other. The clamp is left in place until the adhesive is sufficiently cured.
This form of clamping is typically accomplished using a pipe claw or the like. In many conventional clamps, an elongated member such as a pipe is provided with one portion of a clamp being carried by one end thereof A second clamp portion is slidably engaged with the elongated member for crude adjustment of the throat width between the two portions. Once the boards have been properly aligned and the clamp is properly positioned over the boards, the clamp is then tightened, usually by manipulating the first clamp portion. However, it is well known that manipulating more than one board to ensure proper alignment between the two while also manipulating the clamp with respect to the boards can be cumbersome. Accordingly, it is often preferable to perform this function with only two boards at a time. In so doing, it is required to repeat this process several times in order to form large composite boards.
Other types of clamps have been produced for clamping various objects together. Typical of the art are those devices disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) Issue Date 217,329 R. H. Briggs et al. July 8, 1879 684,835 C. E. Lettell Oct. 22, 1901 689,152 L. E. Anderson Dec. 17, 1901 827,874 O. F. Lindberg Aug. 7, 1906 1,619,989 B. C. Rockwell March 8, 1927 4,525,096 J. L. Green et al June 25, 1985 4,637,098 M. Okura et al. Jan. 20, 1987 4,742,657 R. D. Veech May 10, 1988 4,844,646 J. H. Wier July 4, 1989 4,906,127 F. H. Nixon et al. March 6, 1990 5,730,432 B. Gendreau et al. March 24, 1998 5,803,426 J. F. Hart Sept. 8, 1998 5,860,758 V. T. Kozyrski et al. Jan. 19, 1999 5,888,015 K. H. Brown et al. March 30, 1999
Of these devices, that disclosed by Briggs et al. ('329) is a clamping device in which a wedge shaped object is used to secure the internal components of a machining tool. The '329 device further incorporates a set screw mechanism to assist in the clamping function thereof, the set screw mechanism being pivotally mounted to the device and secured in place via a further pivotally attached securement mechanism. The primary function of the wedge in the '329 device is to maintain the position of the lower of two workpieces engaged to the lower portion of a clamping bar after the upper of the two workpieces is clamped into engagement to the upper portion of the clamping bars by the set screw mechanism.
The '835 patent discloses a clamp for gluing columns or pillars comprised of a plurality of staves. Each stave defines a trapezoidal configuration such that when they are pled in engagement in a side by side orientation, the staves collectively define a substantially circular disposition. A loop clamp is provided to circumvent the staves when disposed in a circular configuration, and a pair of wedges are provided for tightening the loop clamp around the column. The pair of wedges are oriented in an opposing manner and are inserted between the loop clamp and the column such that as the wedges are moved toward each other, slack is taken out of the loop clamp, and vise versa.
Anderson, in the '152 patent, discloses a door stop in which a plate is positioned at an angle with respect to a floor and at a location such that when a door is opened a selected distance, the bottom of the door engages the plate. The exact location on the plate at which the door becomes engaged is dependant upon the angle of disposition of the plate, and the height above the floor of the bottom edge of the door. As the door continues to open after engagement with the plate, the plate is pushed downward until the upper end of the plate engages the floor. To this extent, the upper end of the plate is curved under such that the plate may not be pushed completely to the floor, thus negating the benefit of the sloped orientation of the plate. In order to maintain the position of the plate, with the upper end above the floor, a spring device is provided. The spring device also serves to slow the movement of the door once engaged with the plate.
The '874 device disclosed by Lindberg includes a pair of oppositely disposed claws similar to the type described above, with an elongated member, a first clamp portion secured at one end, and a second clamp portion received along the length of the elongated member. A series of notches is defined by the elongated member for engaging the second clamp portion and provides a gross adjustment means. A pair of wedge members is provided in much the same manner as in the '835 device described above and is disposed between the second clamp portion and the top board that is being clamped. The wedge members are moved along each other in order to adjust the grip of the clamp.
Rockwell discloses a trapezoidal frame comprised of four hinged members that are capable of being folding out into a planar configuration. Two sets of boards to be glued to each other in a face-to-face orientation are placed on either side panel of the frame and the frame is then folded into its trapezoidal disposition The boards on either side are then disposed relative to the horizontal at an angle of less than 90.degree.. A plurality of wedges having sides defining the same angular disposition of the boards is placed between the two sets of boards and forcibly wedged therebetween, thus creating pressure to enhance the bond of the boards.
In the '096 patent, Green et al. disclose a connecting clamp useful for constructing scaffolding. A wedge clamping member is providing for being inserted into openings defined by both an upright and a cross member. The wedge clamping member, however, is not forcibly engaged in either of the openings to provide a tightening effect, but is configured in the shape of a wedge in order to prevent the clamping member from falling through the openings.
The '098 device disclosed by Okura et al. is a cable clamp having a wedge-shaped shim. The shim is telescopically received wit a sleeve. However, Okura fails to teach a device for holding a plurality of planar workpieces in close relation to each other.
Wier ('646) discloses a clamp ember able to be releasably engaged upon a substantially circular shaft having a relatively smooth surface. A resilient wedge is disposed between the clamp and the shaft in order to prevent relative movement of the two.
Gendreau et al. ('432) disclose a clamp for attaching various devices to framing systems in order to maintain vertical alignment of concrete forms. Specifically, the '432 device is provided to secure a horizontal beam, or waler, to a vertical, or strongback, beam. The device includes a substantially U-shaped member configured to receive the strongback beam and the waler, with the distal ends configured to engage the far side of the waler. A wedge-shaped member is then inserted between the strongback beam and the cross member of the U-shaped member and is hammered into place, thus drawing the strongback member and the waler into close contact. However, Gendreau et al. do not teach a device capable of securing the relative position of a polity of boards disposed in a side-by-side disposition
In the '426 patent, Hart teaches the use of a wedge to secure a post within a receptor. Again, Hart ails to teach the use of a wedge to maintain several planar members in a side-by-side disposition. Finally, of the prior art cited above, Brown et al. ('015) disclose a rod gripping device. The rod is received through an opening in a support member. A locking pin is received through an opening defined orthogonally to the rod opening. The rod opening and the locking pin opening are configured such that a portion of each overlaps, and further such that the rod, when received within the rod opening, is partially received within a central portion of the locking pin opening. The locking pin opening defines a diameter greater than the diameter of the locking pin such that the locking pin may be received within the locking pin opening without interfering with the rod. A wedge member is carried by either end of the locking pin such that the rod is disposed therebetween when in place. The wedge members are oriented in such a manner that when they are each moved toward the rod, each grips the rod and prevents movement thereof within the support. Thus, the '015 device is provided for preventing axial and linear movement of the rod within the support. However, it does not provide for the maintenance of a plurality of planar members in a side-by-side disposition.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a means for clamping a plurality of planar members, such as wooden boards, in a side by side disposition.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a means which is adjustable to accommodate workpieces of various thicknesses, widths and lengths, and to accommodate various numbers of such workpieces.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a means which nay be adapted to be used at either end or along the length of the workpieces, individually or in combination with other such means.